Something is wrong in New York City. The garbage is beginning to pile up, the rats are coming out to play, and people are doing weird things like throwing their prized possessions out of their apartment window. And then there are the “angels” who can climb walls and take those people away.

None of this really bothers Moz though. He just wants to play music, and when he meets Pearl, a musical genius, things for his originally two-man guitar band begin taking off.

The Last Days is a sequel to Peeps, but it’s a strange mix of sequel and companion novel. Timeline wise, it is a book that takes place almost right after Peeps ends, but character wise they might as well not be related. Cal and Lace hardly appear (though you know exactly when Lace arrives thanks to her consistent use of “dude”), and I wouldn’t even call them secondary characters. More like background characters.

The theme of this book was music. All of the chapter titles are names of bands and the plot revolves around the formation of Moz’s band. I am not a music person, so descriptions of performances and practices and riffs don’t do it for me, but if you are a music person I’m sure you’ll connect.

There’s also a love…shape. It’s more of a conga line really: he1 likes her1 who likes him2 who likes her2 who is best friends with her1 but likes him2… then throw in the horny virus again and you’ve got a big mess with Alana Ray, the best character of the bunch, probably wishing she was back at her school for children with special needs.

There are some nice tidbits in this book, but unless you’re a Westerfeld fan who wants more of his writing you might want to pass on this one.

recommended to Westerfeld fans and/or music fans

not recommended to those looking for more Cal and Lace

Already read and reviewed The Last Days (or any of the books I’ve reviewed)? Comment with the link and I’ll quote and link you at the bottom of my review!

No discussion post planned for this one. If you have some spoiler-filled comments and would like a discussion post, let me know and I’ll make a post just for you.

8 Responses to [review] The Last Days – Scott Westerfeld

If his series (that I’ve read) were in a foot race, Leviathan would be in first with Uglies right on its heels and Peeps would be lagging behind with a twisted ankle. It’s better than some other stuff out there, but it’s not his best work.

Yeah, Peeps and The Last Days are my least favourite of his books I’ve read. Do you prefer fantasy/history or dystopia? If the first, I recommend the Leviathan trilogy, if the second I suggest the Uglies series.